Banda is a city and a

municipal board A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

Banda district Banda District may refer to: * Banda District, India, a district in Uttar Pradesh, India * Banda District, Ghana Banda District is one of the twelve districts in Bono Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger Tain D ...

in the state of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Banda is divided between north, east, west and south Banda. Banda lies south of the

Yamuna The Yamuna (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a ...

river in the

Bundelkhand Bundelkhand (, ) is a geographical and cultural region and a proposed state and also a mountain range in central & North India. The hilly region is now divided between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with the larger portion lyin ...

region. It is the administrative headquarters of

Banda District Banda District may refer to: * Banda District, India, a district in Uttar Pradesh, India * Banda District, Ghana Banda District is one of the twelve districts in Bono Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger Tain D ...

. The town is well connected to major cities with railways and state highways. The town is near the right bank of the river Ken, 189 km south-west of

Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...

. Banda was a town and district of

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

, in the Allahabad division of the United Provinces. The population in 1901 was 22,565. It was formerly, but is no longer, a military cantonment.

History

Banda, which forms one of the districts included under the general name of Bundelkhand, has formed an arena of contention for the successive races who have struggled for the sovereignty of India.

Shamsher Bahadur I (Krishna Rao) Shamsher Bahadur I (1734 – 18 January 1761), was a ruler of the Maratha dominion of Banda in northern India. He was the son of Bajirao I and Mastani. Early life Krishna Rao was the son of Peshwa Baji Rao I and his second wife Mastani, daughter ...

was a

Maratha The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...

ruler of the dominion of Banda. He was the son of

Bajirao I Baji Rao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740), born as Visaji, also known as Bajirao Ballal (Pronunciation: ad͡ʒiɾaːʋ bəlːaːɭ, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul-M ...

and

Mastani Mastani (29 August 1699 – 28 April 1740 Common Era, CE) was the daughter of Chhatrasal and Ruhani Bai Begum. She was the second wife of the Maratha Empire, Maratha Peshwa (Prime Minister) Baji Rao I. Her relationship within the Maratha Brahmi ...

. He was bestowed upon a portion of his father's dominion of Banda and

Kalpi Kalpi is a historical city and municipal board in Jalaun district in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is on the right bank of the Yamuna. Once Kalpi was more important Than Orai It is situated 78 kilometres south-west of Kanpur from which it is con ...

. In 1761, he and his army contingent were involved (fought alongside the Peshwa) in the Third Battle of Panipat between the Marathas and Afghans. He was wounded in that battle and died a few days later at Deeg. Shamsher's successor Ali Bahadur (Krishna Singh) established his authority over large parts of Bundelkhand and became the

Peshwa The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later, ...

'a Subedar of Banda. The descendants of Shamsher Bahadur continued their allegiance towards the Maratha polity and his grandson, Shamsher Bahadur II, fought the English in the Anglo-Maratha War of 1803.

Geography

Climate

Demographics

As per

2011 Indian Census The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...

, Banda has a population of 154,428, out of which males are 82,116 and females are 72,312. Population in the age group of 0 to 6 years is 18,621. The total number of literates in Banda was 111,432, which constituted 72.16% of the population with male literacy of 77.4% and female literacy of 66.2%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Banda was 82.1%, of which male literacy rate was 87.9% and female literacy rate was 75.4%. The

sex ratio The sex ratio (or gender ratio) is usually defined as the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. Many species devia ...

is 881. The

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

had a population of 18,539 and 17 respectively. There were 27987 households as of 2011.

Languages

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Bundeli Bundeli (Devanagari: बुन्देली or बुंदेली; or Bundelkhandi) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Bundelkhand region of central India. It belongs to the Central Indo-Ayran languages and is part of the Western Hi ...

is natively spoken in Banda.

Government and politics

Civic administration

The city elects members to the Lok Sabha as well as the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly). The city is under the jurisdiction of a District Magistrate, who is an IAS officer. The Collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central Government, and oversee the national elections held in the city. The Collector is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the city. The city is administered by the Banda Municipal Corporation with executive power vested in the Municipal Commissioner of Banda, who is an administrative officer. The corporation comprises elected members (corporators elected from the wards directly by the people) with City Mayor as its head. An Assistant Municipal Commissioner oversees each ward for administrative purposes. The Banda Police is headed by a Deputy Inspector General, who is an IPS officer. The Banda Police comes under the state Home Ministry. The city is divided into several police zones and traffic police zones. The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Banda Police. The Banda Fire Brigade department is headed by the Chief Fire Officer, who is assisted by Deputy Chief Fire Officers and Divisional Officers.

Economy

It contains an area of . In some parts it rises into irregular uplands and elevated plains, interspersed with detached rocks of granite; in others it sinks into marshy lowlands, which frequently remain under water during the rainy season. The sloping country on the bank of the

(previously called Jamuna)is full of ravines. To the south-east the Vindhya chain of hills takes its origin in a low range not exceeding in height, and forming a natural boundary of the district in that direction. The principal river of the district is the Yamuna, which flows from north-west to south-east, along the north-east boundary of the district, for The black soil of the district yields crops of which the principal are millet, other food-grains, pulse, rice, cotton and oil-seeds. Banda cotton enjoys a high repute in the market. A branch railway from Manikpur to

Jhansi Jhansi (; Hindi: झांसी, Urdu: ) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative hea ...

traverses the length of the district, which is also crossed by the East Indian main line to

Jabalpur Jabalpur is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. According to the 2011 census, it is the third-largest urban agglomeration in Madhya Pradesh and the country's 38th-largest urban agglomeration. J ...

(earlier Jubbulpore). The BDA (Banda development Authority) has planned to make one mall in town. 1 India Family Mart, a mid scale shopping store, is currently giving their service to the city.

Places of interest

Bamdeveshwar Temple and Mount

The temple is said to derive its name from Bamdeo Rishi, a sage mentioned in Hindu mythology as a contemporary of Lord Rama. Bamdeo is said to have had his hermitage at the foot of a hill. There is one big and old Shivling is situated in the temple in the kho of Bambeshar Pahar.

Ken River

Bhuragarh Fort

Across the river Ken there are ruins of Bhuragarh Fort, said to be built with brown stones by Raja Guman Singh in the 17th century. This place was important during the freedom struggle. A mela is organised in this place called ‘Natbali Ka Mela’. The fort is situated at the bank of the Ken river. Seeing the sunset from the fort is a beautiful experience. The historical importance of Bhuragarh Fort is related to Bundela reign, Kirat Singh, son of Jagat Rai, repaired Bhuragarh Fort in 1746 A.D. None Arjun Singh was the caretaker of the fort. In 1787 AD, Nawab Ali Bahudur I with the help of Kalinjar Bhatts defeated the Bundelas and captured Bhuragarh. He started a series of wars and extended his dominions from Kalpi to Kalinjar. He is called the Conqueror of Bundelkhand and his forces swayed into Orchcha and levied chauth for Peshwas of Pune. His thrust enabled Kalinjar Bhattas to march into Vindhya and defeat Rewa, Maihar, Vijayraghogargh and adjoining states. The Nawab died in 1802 A.D. and the majority of his hard earned land passed to the British. Banda became a gun salute state and started its modern approach under Nawab Zulfikar Bahadur. He established a modern education system and helped to renew the Banda administrations. He stationed the Kalinjar Bhattshahi in front of Banda railway station, Charkhari Battshahi in Choti Bazar and Jhasi Huzur in Bhuragarh fort hence creating Banda a hub of Maratha dominionation of the North. This was the golden period of Banda when culture and language were promoted. Nawab Tank was built in memory of Mirza Ghalib, who happens to be a blood relative of Nawab. Nawab started the Shazar stone masonry works and his rule was one of the milestones in peace and Maratha hegemony. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 started on 14 June. In Banda it was led by Nawab

Ali Bahadur II Ali Bahadur II (1832–1873) (r. 1850–1858) was the last ruler (''Nawab'') of Banda. He decided to join the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he joined forces of Rani of Jhansi, Rao Sahib and Tantia Tope and was one of Major Commanders of Rebel force at ...

. This struggle was much fiercer than expected and revolutionaries from Allahabad, Kanpur and Bihar joined the Nawab in fighting the British. On 15 June 1857, revolutionaries killed Joint Magistrate Cockrail. On 16 April 1858, Whitluck arrived in Banda and fought against the Maratha army of Banda, supported by Tatya on south and Kalinjar Bhatts from east. About 3000 revolutionaries were killed in the fort during this war. Nuts (people who perform acrobatic feats) from Sarbai sacrificed their lives in this war. Their graves are found inside the fort. The Nawab was dismissed from his possessions in Banda, imprisoned and sent to Indore jail. All his Banda dominions were passed to RaiBahadur Manvendrasingh Awasthi, an important minister of Kalinjar bhattshahi.

Gudha ke Hanuman Ji

This temple is situated in Gudha kalan and is about 40 km from Banda.

Jain Mandir

A historical temple in Banda city. It is located near Chhoti Bazar.

Jama-Masjid

One of the oldest mosques in the city.

Kalinjar Fort

The most famous place to visit from the city is the ancient

Kalinjar Fort Kalinjar ( hi, कालिंजर) is a fortress-city in Bundelkhand, in Banda District of Uttar Pradesh, in India. It was ruled by several dynasties including the Guptas, the Vardhana Dynasty, the Chandelas, Solankis of Rewa, Mughal a ...

which is located south of Banda and is mentioned in the Mahabharata.

Angleshwari Devi

There is also a temple on the top of a hill called ''Khatri Pahar'' at Shydha, which is located approximately 24 km from the city. The temple is dedicated to goddess Angleshwari (Vindhyavasini).

Maheshwari Devi Temple

This temple is situated at the middle place of the Banda city. There are many murtis of Devis and Devatas in the temple.

Nawab Tank

Nawab tank, which was built to fulfill the water needs in Banda, is situated about 3 km south of Banda. This tank was built by the Nawab of Banda, and therefore it is known as the Nawab Tank.

Sankat Mochan Mandir

This temple is situated in Kachehari Road.

St. George's Church (Yellow Church)

St. George's Church aka Yellow Church, established in 1835 AD, is the most famous and oldest church of Banda. Some records have been found that proved that Christianity was in Banda before 1809 AD. Yellow Church was built by Church of England, India for regular prayers of

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglican ...

Englishmen and their families living in Banda during British period. Earlier, the Church was under the Church of North India, Calcutta Diocese, but after 1893 a new Diocese of Lucknow was carved out from the Calcutta diocese. The Church is dedicated to the British patron saint George the Martyr. The Church has many historic memorials of British officers in Banda. There is a grave of British officers inside the church. Outside the Church, there are three graves of British officers from the Royal Army and the grave of the first

Chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

of the church. During 1857 revolt, no damage was made to the Church. The roof gardens of this Church is made up of English

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

. The Church is built in Italian style with conical tops and tall windows. The church was Anglo-Catholic. It is also known as the garrison church of the city. It is counted among the oldest Anglican churches in northern India. Now the church is under the Church of North India, Diocese of Lucknow.

Transport

Road transport

The available multiple modes of public transport in the city are taxis, cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws.

National Highway 76 (India) National Highway 27 (NH 27), an East - West National highway in India that starts in Porbandar and ends in Silchar, the highway passes through the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam. NH-27 w ...

passes through Banda which connects it to

and

. State Highway 92, connects banda to Fatehpur. state highway 76 connects to

allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...

. National Highway 86 connects to

Kanpur Kanpur or Cawnpore ( /kɑːnˈpʊər/ pronunciation (help·info)) is an industrial city in the central-western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1207, Kanpur became one of the most important commercial and military stations o ...

. Apart from the long-distance services, there are many services to nearby places within the state. There are a number of daily buses to

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

, Sagar,

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

, Khajuraho, in

and to many other states. You can also reach Kanpur by road Bara Galauli, Pailani Road.

Railways

Banda is served by

Banda railway station Banda railway station is a grade A railway station in Banda district, Uttar Pradesh. Free rail wire Wifi by Railtel is available at this station. The station is equipped with IP Based CCTV camera. Its code is BNDA. It serves Banda town. Infras ...

, a Category ''A'' station, under the

Jhansi railway division Jhansi railway division is one of the three railway divisions under North Central Railway zone of Indian Railways. This railway division was formed on 5 November 1951 and its headquarters are located at Jhansi in the state of Uttar Pradesh of Ind ...

of the

North Central Railway Zone The North Central Railway (abbreviated NCR) is one of the 19 railway zones in India. The largest railway station in NCR is Kanpur Central. It is headquartered at Prayagraj and comprises three divisions: Allahabad division, Jhansi division, A ...

. It is well connected by trains with all major cities namely

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

, Bilaspur,

Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...

Raipur Raipur ( ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Raipur is also the administrative headquarters of Raipur district and Raipur division, and the largest city of the state. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Chh ...

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...

. The city is well connected to

, and other neighbouring cities. The electrification of railway line is completed in 2019.

Airways

Kanpur Airport Kanpur Airport (), proposed to be renamed as Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Airport, is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force Base that serves the city of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. It provides easier connectivity to major tourist and hist ...

is the nearest airport which is distance around 125 kms.

Education

Banda University of Agriculture and Technology Banda University of Agriculture and Technology (BUAT), is an agricultural university at Banda in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabi ...

Government Medical College, Banda Rani Durgavati Medical College Banda formerly known as Government Allopathic Medical College, Banda is a state medical college located in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, India. The institute was permitted for 100 M.B.B.S. seats by Medical Council of Ind ...

is a state medical college in Banda. * Kali Charan Nigam Institute of Technology, Banda * Rajkiya Engineering College, Banda

References

External links

*
Banda Local Directory
{{Authority control Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2001 All articles containing potentially dated statements Bundelkhand Cities in Bundelkhand Cities in Uttar Pradesh